John brodie reayil



N. 516,3l7. Patented Dec. 20, |898. F. M. HALE, J. DAS 8|. B. REAVIL. PERCUSSION FUSE FDR EXPL'SIVEl PROJECTILES 0B SHELLS.

(Application filed July S, 1898.1

inve ors UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK MARTEN HALE, JAMES DEAs, AND. A.ionN ERoDiE nEAvn., or

e "L/ONDON, ENGLAND.

sRcussio-N-FUSEFOR ExPLosivE PRoJEcTlLEs R 'si-lelie;

SPECIFICATION forming pere ef Letters recent No. 616,317, dated December 2o, 1898-.

Application tiled July 8| 1898. Serial No. 685,456. (No model.)

This invention relates to percussion-fuses.

of the kind in which a firing point or needle and a percussion-pellet having adetonator are so arranged that the said detonator at rst lies out of alinement with the said firing point 'or needle and only comes into alinement therewith by the rotation of the shell l during its iiight from the gun.

According to our invention We so'construct, the fuse that 'a rotative detonator pellet.

i which is eccentrically disposed within the fuse-body will be (normally retained out of alinement with the firing-needle until released by centrifugal force acting on lockingbolts during the ight of the` shell, the said pellet by reason of its eccentricity then changing its position angularly until it brings its .detonator in alinement with the tiringneedle. In this position the pelletv is restrained from further angular movement, but

is free to shift longitudinally on impact and cause its detonator to strikethe needle and explode the shell.

VIn order that our said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, We will proceed to describe the same more fully .with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which we havefillustrated our improved fusein a -form to b eapplied to the base cfa shell.

.Figure1 isa central longitudinal section' 'with the parts in an inactive position-that y is to say, in the position theyjoccupy before Fig. 2

discharge of the shell from the gun. is' a similar section taken at right angles to Fig. l. Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views corresponding to Figs. 1 and 2 and illustrating the parts in the position they occupy after discharge of the shell from' the gun. Fig. 5 is a sectional -viev'i1 similar to Fig. 3, but showing the parts in the position they occupy immediately after impact. l Fig. G is a transverse section on the line -1 1 of Fig. 1. 'Z is a plan of a screw-plug forming part of the fuse, asliereina-fter described. t

In all the figures like lettersl of reference indicate similar parts.

AV is the body of the fuse, within a cavity' A Jof which is located the pellet B, having lpivots oraxles IJ coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the fuse. ,The shape of the said pellet is such that the center of gravity thereof is eccentric to the axis of the said pivots" or axles. laterallydisposed bolts C, the heads c of which are by meansof springs c' kept irrengagement with recesses a, formed for their reception in thebody A of the fuse. The pellet is by means of such bolts held locked to the fuse-'body and rendered incapable of performing any independent movement. In this It is furnished with one or more position of the pellet the detonator B', which it carries, isv out of alinlement with the firingneedle D. The tails o2 oi the said bolts are weighted and occupy such a position relatively to the longitudinalaxis of the fuse.,

that during the Hight and spin of the shell to which thefuse is applied the heads c of the said bolts are caused by centrifugal force acting on the said Weighted tails c2 to be Withdrawn from their recesses inthe fuse-body,4

minished, while the speed of rotation of the fuse-body remains unchanged, The positionA of the detonator B' with respect to the iiring- -needle-D is thereby 'altered and continues to alter until the said detonator cornes into alinement with -the tiring needle. this 'alinement occurs acatc'h-bolt E carried by the pellet is caused to be thrust intopa roo Immediately longitudinal slot A2 in the' fuse-bodyby a spring c, whereby the pellet is locked to the fuse-body in' its nenangular position, (see Figs. 3 and 4;) but the aforesaid longitudinal slot A2 leaves the pellet-free to move forward on im pact of the shell, and consequently when such limpact takes place the said pellet will by its own momentum fly forward and cause its detonator B' to strike the firing-needle D. The resulting flash explodes the shell, as is well understood. In order to permit of this longitudinal forward movement oif the pellet, the pivots thereof and their bearings 'I1 7J are made so long that the pivots can slide longitudinally without any liability of the pellet to become disengaged from the said bearings.

rPhe forward end of the fuse-body is provided with a screw-plug D for closing the aforesaid cavity A', and this plug is furnished with a projection D2, which is so arranged that it will lie contiguous to the end of -the aforesaid pellet (see- Fig. 1) and restrain the latter from longitudinal movement u-ntil thedetonator has assumed its position of alinement with the firing-needle. This projection D? also reduces the transverse stress that would otherwise come upon the aforesaid lateral bolts C C carried by the pellet and enables them to readily shift when subjected to the action of Vcentrifugal force during the flight of theshell. A The said plug D has a series of flash ioles d contiguous to the firing-i needle D, suc holes openinginto a cavity d', containing an explosive mixture which is red by the flash on impact ofthe shell. In order to insure that the Hash shall be edectually projected through the said holes d We prefer toprovidea cavity b2, containing an explosive mixture, immediately at the rear of the detonator B', so that on explosion of the detonator this explosive mixture will likewise bev fired and give rise to a flame that will extend completely through the Hash-holes. It willbe obvious that the position of the firingneedle and the detonator may be reversedthat is to say, the firing-needle may be arranged on the pellet and the detonator on the plug D; Likewise the bolts C and E may be arranged in the fuse-body instead ofin the pellet.

' If desired, the front pivot or axle of the pellot may be provided with a spring, which will offer su flicient resistance to the longitudinal -movement of the pellet to prevent its shift ing longitudinally forward toward the firingneedle bcforebimpactcf the shell occurs.

What wc claim is 1. In apercussion-fusc provided with a det` onator and a firing-needle, the combination of an eccentric pivotal pellet and of means for locking said pellet in an inactive position until. released by the action of centrifugal Aforce during thc llight of thc shell substantially as described.

'2. In apercussion-fuse provided with a detpins which are coaxial with the axis of the fuse and of bearings in which said pins are mounted so as to -be capable of longitudinal as well as angular movement, substantially as and for the purpose specified. A l

3. Ina percussion-fuse provided with a det onator and a firing-needle, the combination of. an eccentri pivotal pellet capable of longitudinal movement, of locking-bolts which normally retainsaid pellet in an inactive position and of weights at the tail ends of such bolts for enabling centrifugal force Ito act upon the bolts and disengage them during the flight of the shell substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. In a percussion-fuse provided with a detonator and a firing-needle, the combination of an eccentric pivotal pellet locatedin a cavity within the fuse-body, of weighted lockingbolts which are released by centrifugal force during the fiight of the shelland permit the pellet to perform van independent angular movement to bring'the detonator and firingneedle in alinement, and of means for restraining further angular movement of said pellet but rendering it free to move longitudinally to cause the detonator and firingneedle to strike on impact of the shell substantially as described.

.5. In a percussion-fuse provided with a det-L onator and a Iiring-needle,the combination of an eccentric semicylindrical pellet pivotally mounted in a cavity within the fuse-body,

IOlO

of long pivot-pins carried by said pellet, of

bearings coaxial with the axis of the fuse and Within which the pivot-pins are capable ofA longitudinal as well as angular movement, of transverse locking-bolts carried by said pellet and adapted to normally engage with holes 'in th-e fuse-body under the infiuence of light vpose specified. l

, 6. In a percussion-fuse provided with a detonator and a liringfneedle, the combination with the eccentric pivotal pellet, of a screw plug' for closing the mouth of thc cavity in the fuse-body and of a projection on such plug, said projection serving to resist longigitudnal movement of the pellet and avoid lateral stress on the locking-bolts while said pellet occupies its inactive position substantially as described and ufor the purposes .speci- 7. In a 'percussion-fuse, the combination iroy e; the eavityin which the pellet is located and of aseres of holes extending through said with the eccentric pivotal pellet of adetonator In witness whereof We have hereunto set no carried by said pellet in a cavity-containing our hands this 18th day of May, 1898.

an explosive mixture of a firmo-needle ear- 1 Y 1 ried by the sereW-plug closing Ehe mouth of ARIIBDISMARTEN HALL" JOHN BRODIE REAVIL.

plug into a recess formed therein to contain v l/Vtnesses:

Y an explosive mztrefuhstantally as de- 'v CHAS. B. BURDON, scribed andfor the purpose specified. F. W. MCLELLAN. 

